PALMOILMAGAZINE, MAKASSAR – The Ministry of Environment and Forestry’s (MEF) law enforcement investigation team has successfully resolved a case involving the unauthorized cultivation of a limited production forest (LPF) in the Village of Mantadulu, Angkona Subdistrict, Luwu Timur District, Southeast Sulawesi Province.
The primary suspect in this case is a 40-year-old individual identified as AM. The case files were declared complete by the Southeast Sulawesi Attorney’s Office on Tuesday (3/10/2023) and are now prepared for trial.
The investigation began after receiving information from the local community regarding new palm oil plantation development in the LPF areas of the Village of Mantadulu, Angkona Subdistrict, Luwu Timur District. Acting on this information, the MEF’s law enforcement investigation team in Sulawesi initiated an operational team to secure and protect the forest in question.
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On 18 June 2023 MEF team in Sulawesi found one (1) yellow excavator with the brand, Komatsu PC 200 around LPF areas. It was assumed to be used to get new planting to be palm oil plantations. The cultivated areas to plant palm oil laid on about 10 (ten) hectares. It was assumed to be wider. MEF team secured the excavator and looked for the owners of the areas and excavator itself.
From the investigation, the team found out the data and information that AM (40) confessed that he was the owner/investor of the areas. The team reported the case and handed over the case to investigators on 28 July 2023. Investigators decided that AM (40) with his address in Village of Tomoni, District of Luwu Timur is the suspect.
Head of Security and Law Enforcement Agency MEF in Sulawesi, Aswin Bangun said that MEF would be very serious and there would be no end to sue every criminal in environment and forestry issues.
“The crime would be delivering damages for the ecosystem and deforestation in the areas. The forest would have no function well and would deliver flood and slide,” he said, as in the official statement to Palmoilmagazine.com, Friday (6/10/2023).
Aswin continued, law enforcement team of MEF in Sulawesi would hand over the case and every evidence (phase II) to the Malili Attorney, District of Luwu Timur and would be in trial. (T2)
